


Things Money Can't Buy

by Cacoethic



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 06:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8391430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cacoethic/pseuds/Cacoethic
Summary: “Remember when I taught you that love is irrational?” you spoke softly as Jumin moved from the floor to the seat next to you, his phone call completed and his attention fully on you. He nodded slowly in reply, unsure of where you were headed next. “I have a new lesson for you.”





	

Jumin could tell you were crying over the phone, though he couldn’t begin to understand why. He’d had to cancel dinners many times in the past and you’d always accepted it without so much as a sigh. His job was incredibly demanding, and he stayed late more nights than not. But this night, just this one in particular, you were extremely emotional about his cancellation and he couldn’t fathom the cause for the change.

“Listen, love,” he spoke quietly and calmly into his phone. He’d snuck out of an important meeting specifically to call you, and hadn’t planned to stay long. He was weak to your sniffling and your voice cracking, however, so he sat for a minute collecting his thoughts. You really did listen, hoping he was planning to work something out and come home early for a change. Instead, he exhaled rather loudly and proposed what he likely thought was an excellent solution. “I’ll bring home anything you like after my meeting ends. Any restaurant, you name it, and it’ll be yours. How does that sound, dar-” Unexpectedly, you hung up before hearing the rest.

He tried to call you back but you rejected it with ease. Sulking around the penthouse you now shared together, you noted with a hint of sad relief that he didn’t try again. You had already showered and gotten ready when he called to say he couldn’t make it to the dinner you’d spent almost a week planning, so your time consisted of peeling off your dress and letting your hair down. Although you performed each task slowly and with the utmost care, everything was done in no time at all. You moodily sat down on the couch with the intent to watch some TV, but your hand didn’t move to seek out the remote. Instead, you played back the events of the past week in your head. 

Jumin had cancelled on you a thousand times at this point—after being married for nearly two years, you found it difficult to be upset. In all honesty, you tried not to plan out dates with him because something always came up. You didn’t mind being impulsive in most of your plans, but tonight had been important to you. The seemingly callous act of him hearing you cry, yet returning to the meeting was actually part of an agreement the two of you made. Previously, he would stop everything to rush to your side if you were even a little upset (or happy, or tired, or really anything at all). It had been damaging his reputation at C&R and annoyed you to no end. You made him promise to stay at work unless you asked him specifically to come home.

You could’ve asked him to rush back. He would’ve dissolved the meeting and gotten on a damn helicopter just to reach you faster. It was probably very hard for him to return to work after hearing the slight falter in your voice when he said he couldn’t make it tonight and the sharp inhale as you held your breath to keep from openly crying. You chose not to ask him, thinking (in the moment) that you were strong enough to handle it. But after the call ended you found yourself feeling so utterly alone that the tears really began.

He didn’t know you’d planned this event for a reason. There was no way Jumin could know that you planned to announce your pregnancy over dinner, because you’d been intentionally keeping it secret. Not even Jaehee, who’d become your closest friends in the months after you joined RFA, was aware that you were now nearly 2 months along. You were almost certain that Jumin would be happy despite his workaholic nature, but the nagging feeling that he might not be ready had been in the back of your mind since you found out last week.

You had almost shrugged off your first missed period. However after a week had passed with no sign of it, you’d bought the first pregnancy test you’d ever purchased. You were on birth control … sort of. You had been far from a “perfect user” and possibly not even a “typical user” for months now. Working at Jaehee’s café as a manager-slash-barista-when-needed for the past year and a half was really fun and gave you a sense of independence from Jumin’s unfathomable wealth, but the hours were erratic at best. As you took on more responsibilities at the café you’d started taking your pill hours later than you should have or completely missing it. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, even considering Jumin didn’t use condoms. Though you were educated enough to know that the pull-out method was extremely ineffective, it still served as a “backup” to your birth control. A backup, you supposed now, until you got pregnant.

You had discussed having children with Jumin even before getting married. It was always assumed to be an eventuality, something to ponder over when Jumin hit 30 (rather than freshly 29, which seemed extremely close but also too far). As to actually planning out what you’d do to prepare for a baby, very little had been said. After the rushed engagement and the soon-after wedding, you wanted to take things a little more slowly. You were a few years younger than Jumin after all, and felt as though you were finally entering your stride as a working adult. It had taken a lot of time to adjust to married life with him, and you were only now able to take care of yourself properly. You feared that adding another human to the mix might shatter this tentative peace that had arisen throughout the course of your marriage. Hence your apprehension about the reveal. 

Although abortion was illegal, there was virtually nothing Jumin couldn’t buy. But that thought made your stomach drop. Abortion itself wasn’t particularly disturbing to you and you’d never been afraid of getting one if necessary and possible, but you’d already fallen in love with the tiny fetus developing inside of you. After doing some research this afternoon in preparation for tonight’s “date”, you’d learned that the fetus inside of you was miniscule and shaped more like a tadpole than anything human. It had no thoughts or feelings or fully-developed organs. It couldn’t be considered a baby or a human being or anything more than an “it”. But you loved it, and you had no plans to abort.

You’d been so lost in thought on the couch that you hadn’t noticed over an hour pass by. Seeing the sun lower in the sky, you checked your phone to find another missed call from Jumin. You idly wondered if his meeting was finished, but his last words were still haunting you “I’ll bring home anything you like” – how about yourself? you mused bitterly.

As if he could sense your anger through the door, Jumin entered the penthouse slowly and quietly. All of the lights were off, since the sun was still above the horizon when you lost yourself in thought. You’d been so busy ruminating, in fact, that you didn’t have a plan for what to do when he arrived. He stood in the door sheepishly, holding a bag clearly filled with food from your favourite restaurant. It smelled amazing, and he looked so downtrodden that you wanted to stand and hug him on the spot. But you kept remembering how he’d tried to bribe you with food and were determined not to let him win. So you put up your nose and pointedly avoided his eye contact.

“Darling,” he made his way slowly to you, setting the food down and removing his shoes before painstakingly taking the first few steps towards the couch. You’d always humoured him and accepted his gifts and apologies instead of sulking: this time was different. You’d never seriously planned something important except for your wedding, and he did most of the work for that (with your input, of course). While there was no way he could’ve known that this particular night was important and you had given up your very real chance to have him come home early, you still felt angry.

“I’m sorry,” after the initial timid steps Jumin had bridged the distance between himself and you in mere moments, and was already on his knees before you. You thought about forgiving him (you really wanted to forgive him) until he opened his mouth anew. “What can I get you to make up for it, baby? How can I make this right?” The same anger that had flooded through you before you hung up on him rushed through your veins anew. He didn’t understand it at all, he was an idiot, he could never hope to make something up properly to you without using his money. Unless you taught him.

“Jumin,” you spoke now for the first time in hours, having not even welcomed him back when he arrived. “Take off work tomorrow.” At your command his eyes grew wider, likely calculating just how angry Jaehee’s replacement would be. You couldn’t say for sure you even knew the new assistant’s name, as he’d had changed assistants an innumerable amount of times since Jaehee’s departure. In an instant his eyes returned to normal and he was on his phone, informing Assistant Moon (that was her name! You’d met her once before) that he couldn’t come in tomorrow. It was reminiscent of your early days in RFA, when he was obsessed with your safety and practically held you prisoner in the apartment you now shared. This time, however, you were calling the shots. Jumin had to be taught properly about the things money couldn’t buy for possibly the first time in his life.

“Remember when I taught you that love is irrational?” you spoke softly as Jumin moved from the floor to the seat next to you, his phone call completed and his attention fully on you. He nodded slowly in reply, unsure of where you were headed next. “I have a new lesson for you.”

\--

The weather was perfect that morning: the right amount of clouds in the sky and a temperature that rested just above “a little too chilly”. After hearing your proclamation that the two of you were going out, Jumin had emerged from the bedroom wearing a nice suit. Holding back a chuckle, you sent him right back to put on something more casual. You still hadn’t told him what you were doing, and you also knew how small his selection of casual clothes was. After a few minutes passed, you followed him to the rather large walk-in closet you shared to help him out a bit.

“Taking your suit jacket off doesn’t count as casual,” you teased before turning the corner and resting your eyes on him. You ate your words as soon as you did so: it wasn’t on par with Seven’s “casual”, but the outfit he’d chosen was the least formal thing you’d seen him in (besides his sleepwear) possibly ever. He’d selected a dark red sweater and an unbelievably uncharacteristic pair of black jeans. Jumin took one look at your shocked expression and started pulling the sweater off.

“I knew it wouldn’t suit me,” his voice was muffled through the sweater but the note of embarrassment in his voice was easy to detect. You reached out to stop him, reassuring him that it suited him all too well. He blushed nearly as deep as his sweater before pulling it back on and leaving the closet in a hurry. The day was already going extremely well; you couldn’t help but smirk as you picked out your own outfit and headed towards the front door.

“You look beautiful,” he commented pointedly once you left the bedroom and entered into his sights. He always complimented you, but it felt especially nice that day since you’d barely put any effort into your looks. After all, you two would likely be sweaty and gross before the day ended. He didn’t need to know that.

Not wanting to scare him too much, you opted for his driver rather than the subway. You also weren’t entirely sure how to get there by subway or if it was even possible: you’d only been there once as a child and your parents had driven you. You whispered the destination to Mr. Kim, who only raised an eyebrow before nodding his head and putting the car in drive. The car ride was longer than expected but just as peaceful as you could’ve hoped. There was a marked difference between Jumin and yourself, easily illustrated by your sleepy head leaning onto his stiffened shoulders. You nearly fell asleep en route while he nervously fidgeted with a loose thread on his sweater.

You arrived at a nondescript parking lot completely devoid of other cars or people. You exited the car behind Jumin and caught yourself deeply inhaling, the smell of grass thick in the air. Jumin, for his part, visibly relaxed upon realizing you (probably) had no plans to torture him. You went around to the driver’s side and told Mr. Kim you’d be back in a bit; the affable man was already reaching for a book and waving you away before you finished your sentence. Spotting the dirt path you’d taken so many years before, you grabbed Jumin’s hand and pulled him towards it with you.

It was a short walk to the waterfall but you drew it out as best as you could, pointing out the beautiful scenery to your awe-struck husband. Jumin, with his crisp edges and perfect complexion, seemed very out of place among the dirt and craggy rocks along the path. Obviously he’d been out in nature before (for strictly business reasons as per usual), but he looked like a curious child who’d never stepped foot outside as you made your way farther and farther from civilization. Rather than taking in the scenery, you watched his face and delighted in each raised eyebrow and quiet hum of interest. When the waterfall came into view, you realized purely from his expression of wonder. His handsome face rarely showed such emotion; Jumin was a stoic man by nature. You’d learned to derive pleasure and happiness from the rare moments he dropped his mask when out in public with you. This particular display made up for everything until now: rather than you teaching him to enjoy nature, it seemed he was teaching you.

“Wow,” you reached a full stop next to him as he took in the site of the waterfall. It wasn’t particularly big or exciting, but he was completely entranced. You slowly removed your phone from your back pocket and opened up the camera. Unable to resist, you first took a picture of Jumin’s dumbfounded expression. In response to your movement he tilted his head towards you and only then remembered your presence.

“Let’s take a picture!” you suggested cheerily. “To remember this by.” Your words teased out a small smile from your husband, an act which brought your heart up into your throat. It never ceased to amaze you how hard you fell for him, even now. Obliging you, he took his eyes off the waterfall and turned around so you could capture its beauty alongside yourselves. Cursing your short arms, you tried in vain to fit both of you and the waterfall into the shot. Jumin cracked a smile that was barely distinguishable from a smirk before gingerly plucking the camera out of your outstretched hand. He easily fit the pair of you into the shot, with the small waterfall trickling down in the background. Once he’d taken a few pictures to choose from, he returned the phone to pore over them with you.

“This one!” you stopped flipping through images once you’d picked a favourite. You’d gotten to see so many sides of Jumin today, and this picture embodied that joy and surprise perfectly: you were leaning into each other, your mouth wide with a grin and his closed into a sincere smile. He nodded in approval; you pulled the phone away abruptly and gave a triumphant smirk. Your impromptu plan had nearly come to fruition. “Now,” you paused for dramatic effect. “How much would you pay for me to give this picture to you?” Jumin frowned immediately.

“That’s absurd… I can’t put a price on this picture the same way I can’t put a price on this experience,” he admitted with a defeated sigh. “Ok, I understand,” Jumin continued before you could pull an I told you so! “You were right. Some things can’t be bought, I’m an idiot and I’m sorry.” Like a dog with his tail between his legs, he retreated closer to the waterfall. You followed close behind, feeling a burst of courage and boldness all at once.

“That’s not all, Jumin. There was a reason why last night was so important,” you began earnestly. He turned to face you as soon as the words left your lips, his face a picture of concern. Without interrupting you but clearly anxious, his eyes begged you to continue. You hadn’t meant to scare him, but perhaps now he’d be pleasantly surprised by the subject matter? Unless he had already suspected you were about to make a pregnancy announcement and was reacting fearfully to that. Quickly dismissing those awful thoughts, you pushed forward, meeting Jumin’s gaze with determination.

“I… am pregnant,” you exhaled quickly, your voice faltering at the beginning but growing stronger near the finish. Jumin’s mouth actually opened in shock, though he made no audible noise. Your resolve faltered once again, and you found yourself tempted to take the words back inside you as seconds of silence stretched into what felt like hours. Finally, Jumin woke from his stupor. Pulling you into an enormous hug, he inhaled deeply and put one hand on the small of your back. After slowly extricating himself from your hair, his other hand found its way to your cheek tenderly. 

“I love you so much,” he spoke softly but with fire in his eyes. “I’m so happy. I’ll remember this day forever.” It was only when you reached up to place your hand on his cheek in kind that you realized you were both crying. You’d known all along that this would be his reaction, but you’d been so consumed by fear that you hadn’t been able to think clearly. You both began to slowly disentangle yourselves from each other, backing away reluctantly. Just as you turned to make your way back to the car, Jumin reached out and grabbed both your hands.

“We have to go home right now,” his eyes were wide with urgency and you found yourself being thrown into a panic. “We need to start researching preschools!” he exclaimed a little too loudly for the peaceful setting. Your mind (finally) set at ease, you let out a small chuckle and did a small jog to match Jumin’s overly excited pace. Predictable.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first second-person POV fic! I tried to keep details vague on the MC's preference and clothing (and use pet names rather than "MC", which is easy because it's exactly how I imagine Jumin talking) to make it easier to insert yourself as the MC. Hopefully it worked well. This is also the first time I've published a fanfiction for a series other than Naruto... ever. I'd like to do more if possible, especially with Mystic Messenger. This game has destroyed me.
> 
> Playlist for this fic is just Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You ad infinitum (as well as Viking Moses' cover, which you should definitely check out).


End file.
